Saints making most of time in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — For many New Orleans Saints veterans, Hurricane Katrina was a disaster. Comparatively, Gustav was a minor inconvenience.
Just 15 players remain from the 2005 team that played the entire season on the road as New Orleans reeled from Katrina and the damage it caused. That season, the Saints sometimes walked through practice plays in a parking lot and used a tent for their weight room.
The players who experienced that season understand that being safe in Indianapolis, staying at a five-star hotel and practicing at a brand-new stadium is a scenario to beat most alternatives. They say better planning by the organization and cooperation from the Indianapolis Colts have given them a chance to prepare in relatively normal conditions for their opener Sunday against Tampa Bay.
“It feels great,” safety Josh Bullocks said after a Wednesday afternoon practice at Lucas Oil Stadium. “The whole plan makes us feel comfortable about where we’re at and what’s happening. During Katrina, we were out there in California for four or five days, then we knew we were going to San Antonio. We wasn’t really concerned about the game because a lot of things was going on, but here, our main focus is on the game.”
The Saints planned for evacuation well in advance of Gustav’s landfall on Monday.
sunherald.com
9/4/08
Magnolia Tribune
